DRIVESCOREOur auto expert reviewers have awarded this score, after thoroughly testing this car.

Effortlessly strong engine

Premium cabin details

Enthusiastic handling

Firm ride

Slightly claustrophobic cabin

Chintzy alloy wheels

VALUE

8.5

SAFETY

9.0

COMFORT

7.0

PERFORMANCE

8.0

RESALE

8.5

SERVICING

8.0

SPACE

7.5

HANDLING

8.0

ECONOMY

7.5

CONNECTIVITY

9.0

OVERALL

8.0

Just as Subaru turns its back on mid-size SUV performance, Mazda snatches that turbocharged baton and runs with it.

It’s been a long time coming – six years in this instance – but finally there’s a performance-oriented CX-5.

For a handling-biased brand like Mazda not to have a high-powered answer to the VW Tiguan 162TSI or the (now-departed) Subaru Forester XT has always seemed slightly odd, though it’s definitely a case of ‘better late than never’ for this turbocharged MY19 version. Finally, a CX-5 with the muscle to match its moves.

Wanna drag the whole family on a cross-country tour without raising a sweat? Then the turbocharged CX-5 could be your steed.

Can I afford it ?

Given that even the most expensive CX-5 Turbo variant – the flagship Akera tested here – comes in at less than 50 big ones ($49,170), that’s a respectably priced wedge for a respectably premium product.

If you want your turbocharged CX-5 to look slightly less glitzy, there’s a GT version for $46,970, which features sportier, dark-coloured 19-inch alloy wheels and less fruit inside. In each case, you’ll be paying $2500 extra for a 30kW/168Nm boost in oomph.

What do you get for your money?

The CX-5 GT Turbo mirrors the equipment count of the regular petrol and turbo-diesel GT versions, which may or may not please you, depending on your opinion about shouting your performance. It’ll be a long and fruitless attempt to find a ‘Turbo’ badge anywhere on this 170kW CX-5.

How much does it cost to maintain?

Mazda recommends servicing every 12 months or 10,000km, with pricing starting at $315 for the first, third and fifth services. The total three-year tally is $973 (covering a maximum of 30,000km), while the five-year total is $1631 (for 50,000km). Cost-wise, that’s highly competitive, but if you cover big distances, a 10,000km service interval is below par in 2018.

Mazda’s main vehicle warranty covers the CX-5 for five years/unlimited kilometres, though you need to purchase roadside assistance separately (starting at $99 per year).

The Red Book’s three-year resale estimate for the MY19 CX-5 Akera Turbo is a class-leading 65.0 per cent. Not only is that better than any rival, it’s the strongest for the entire CX-5 range, demonstrating the richness of Mazda’s model mix and Aussie buyer’s premium perception of the Mazda brand.

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Is it well built?

About as well as anyone could rightfully expect given the CX-5’s non-premium pricing. Neat panel fit and a nicely constructed interior apply to even the base CX-5, but it’s this Akera model’s high-quality Nappa leather and real wood trim that give it a proper premium look and feel.

About the only negative is the slightly baggy carpet fit on the boot side of the rear-seat backrests but that’s nit-picking.

What are the Standout features?

Finally, some proper performance. For too long the medium-SUV class has been restricted by the options available to anyone looking for a decent level of grunt, and with the departure of the Subaru Forester XT, the stealthy Mazda CX-5 Turbo has cunningly filled its slot.

What does it have that others don't?

And then there’s the CX-5’s driver focus. Compared to the drudgery of its chief Japanese competition – namely the X-Trail, Outlander and current RAV4 (an all-new one is due in May) – there’s a definite spring in this SUV’s step.

How practical is it?

More so than the original CX-5, not just because Mazda’s second attempt is a better-packaged, more intelligent mid-sized SUV. But it’s the torque of the new turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine that truly defines this vehicle – not because it is hair-raisingly rapid, but because it’s such a terrific tool for lugging loads effortlessly.

Not only does the boosted CX-5’s 420Nm at 2000rpm give it a muscularity quite foreign to the non-turbo petrol version, but its extra oomph increases the braked towing capacity by 200kg to an impressive two-tonnes. That’s identical to the turbo-diesel, and a good 500kg better than a turbocharged Honda CR-V VTi-LX AWD.

Is it comfortable?

In isolation, on a smooth road, the CX-5 Akera does a decent job of pampering its occupants. That’s mainly down to the quality of its tactile upholstery and the support of its seats, as well as its reasonably quiet ride. Being able to finitely adjust the Akera’s electric front chairs majorly benefits the CX-5’s driving position, even if the cushion could use greater length and increased tilt.

But it’s the turbo Akera’s ride that fails to support that impression on scarred, badly surfaced roads. There’s a lack of suspension suppleness over such terrain, as if the CX-5 is tracing the topography with its tyres, and that’ll be too much for anyone chasing a plush ride. This tautness benefits the CX-5’s handling, of course, but its fixed-rate dampers are unable to pull off the jack-of-all-trades dynamic feat of a car with well-tuned adaptive dampers.

Easy in, easy out?

Not to the same extent of some of the CX-5’s boxier competitors, though this style-driven SUV is hardly a chore to get in and out of. The raised hip point makes it easy to enter both rows, and the Akera’s electrically operated tailgate lightens the load significantly because the CX-5’s tailgate is normally quite bulky.

Space and versatility?

More so than you’d probably think, especially in terms of seating flexibility. The CX-5’s rear backrests are split 40/20/40, allowing smaller sections to fold than a simple 60/40 backrest, and when they’re dropped, the floor is almost flat (though CX-5’s sloping tailgate does eat into ultimate cargo space).

The rear luggage cover can be attached to the tailgate itself, enabling hands-free access to cargo once the tailgate is open, and there are backrest release levers on either side of the boot.

Inside, rear passengers get a folding centre armrest with built-in USB ports, a pair of rear air vents, two-position backrest angle, and diagonal door-bottle holders capable of housing one-litre bottles in the rear (and 1.5-litre bottles, at a squeeze, up front). With its deeper rear cushion and much-improved amenities, the second-gen CX-5 is in another league as a four-seat family wagon than the flawed original.

In the front row, fully electric operation and the wonders of seat cooling give the Akera a bespoke feel when it comes to seating flexibility, and now that Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is available, there’s less frustration with Mazda’s so-so MZD Connect multimedia system.

The Akera (like the GT below it) gets a Bose stereo with 10 speakers but it lacks the audio depth for the sound to feel expansive in the CX-5’s cabin. And the Akera’s dark-coloured headlining underlines that impression.

Despite its raised ride height and the light-emitting benefit of having a (small) sunroof, the Akera Turbo’s cabin feels quite closed in. That’s the price you pay for the CX-5’s curvaceous, youthful exterior styling … for a family wagon, at least.

What's the engine like?

The CX-5’s newfound turbo-petrol muscle owes much to the same engine in the larger CX-9 SUV and facelifted Mazda 6 – it’s identical. That means a relatively low-stressed unit producing 170kW at just 5000rpm and 420Nm at 2000rpm when running on regular unleaded, but able to spike to 186kW when fed 98-octane premium. That makes the CX-5 Turbo one of the most powerful SUVs in its class.

Tied to Mazda’s own six-speed automatic transmission, the CX-5 Turbo doesn’t really need any more ratios because it has so much torque to play with. And the switchable Sport mode seems to work best with the turbocharged donk because it doesn’t need to make the engine rev to perform. That’s what makes this SUV so deceptively brisk – quieter than the regular petrol, yet capable of so much more while seemingly doing so much less.

How much fuel does it consume?

More than the non-turbo 2.5-litre petrol but not by a huge amount. The official combined consumption of the CX-5 Turbo is 8.2L/100km – 0.8 more than its non-turbo relative. And that’s drinking 91-octane. Feed it premium and that number will improve.

Is it enjoyable to drive?

Providing you’re comfortable with the CX-5 Turbo’s taut ride and tight body control, this top-spec Akera is damn good fun on a twisty road. Mazda has made a number of subtle engineering tweaks to the MY19 CX-5’s suspension and, in conjunction with the gutsy new engine, they make for a surprisingly adept driver’s SUV.

Mazda has optimised the outer ball-joint location in the front suspension, increased the front anti-roll bar diameter slightly, lowered the firmness of the front anti-roll-bar bushes, decreased the rear anti-roll bar diameter, changed the material of the rear damper top-mounts to urethane, and revised the valving in the front and rear dampers, while adding a new generation of G-Vectoring Control (called G-Vectoring Control Plus) – all in the aim of honing the CX-5’s dynamics even further.

In reality, it drives much like it did before, only better. There’s improved connection and a more switched on feel in normal driving, backed by sweeter poise and greater cornering ability in hard driving. Right from the get-go, the CX-5 has always relished a twisty road and an enthusiastic driver, and this turbo-petrol version is the greatest of the lot.

Does it perform as you expect?

With instant torque response, there’s a definite shove in the back when you flatten the Akera Turbo’s right pedal, joined by a pleasantly subdued but purposeful induction note as the engine does its job. But its performance is deceptive.

The turbo engine upshifts at just 5400rpm, making it feel quite lazy. Yet if you actually measured how quick it is against the clock (I would say high-sixes from 0-100km/h should be a piece of cake, seeing we’ve seen 7.4sec from the heavier CX-9 with the same engine), you might be surprised at the pace of the CX-5 Akera.

But there’s also much pleasure to be had in the ease of this car’s driveability. It’s a simple car to drive, yet also very satisfying in the way it requires minimal effort to maintain momentum.

We really like the points of differentiation in the MY19 CX-5 Akera too – finally distancing it from the same-engined CX-5 GT, while informing your neighbours that you bought the posh model. About the only negative, in my opinion, is the fact that the Akera looks so unsporting. Those ‘brilliant dark’ alloys are American-gauche, and the fact the Turbo version is otherwise visually identical to the non-turbo petrol undersells the praise this new drivetrain deserves.

Maybe that’s what people want – not to be noticed – but in an age when Volkswagen’s R-Line kit is selling its bosom off, and even Nissan’s cringeworthy N-Sport model gives the depressingly unsporting X-Trail some visual toughness, I’d dare say this desirable new turbocharged CX-5 deserves a bit more.

Won’t stop punters tripping over themselves to buy it though!

2019 Mazda CX-5 Akera Turbo price and specifications

Price: $49,170 (before on-road costs)

Engine: 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder

Power: 170kW at 5000rpm

Torque: 420Nm at 2000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic, AWD

Fuel use: 8.2L/100km

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Having completed an Arts degree in English Literature and Film, Ponch started out at Hot 4s & Performance Cars magazine in 1997, honing his distaste for bodykits and commercial doof-doof, before editing Australian Volkswagen magazine, then kicking off a 17-year career at ACP/Bauer as Staff Journalist for WHEELS in 2001.

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Deep Thought — 26 Dec 2018 13:00

The specs may be good on paper but what about 'THAT' interior. It reminds me of a cane toad sprayed grey and covered in Christmas tree lights - the ...
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